Hidan sighed, blood dripping from his neck once more, from a deep laceration, yet another Jashin-symbol on his stomach. He needed yet another shower, unless he wanted to sleep covered in blood. Kakuzu eyed him from the seat in the corner of the room, where he had been calculating the month's expenses.
"You shouldn't be getting so friendly." Kakuzu muttered.
Hidan looked back at the miser with a questioning look. "What?"
"With the kid." he clarified. "Seishiro's not an official member. You don't know the reason Pein-san wants them here."
He chose his words carefully, preferring some ambiguity; just to see.
"Hah?" Hidan frowned. "It's none of your fucking business Kakuzu, you old shit. When did you get so concerned about what I do anyways?"
Hidan glared; kakuzu was acting more agitated than usual. More annoying and more…he didn't know! Just…it wasn't pleasant being around him before, but it was even worse now!
"Sei-kun at least-"
Kakuzu cut him off. "What's with the nickname? You're quite affectionate, getting soft?"
A red, angry blush rose to Hidan's cheeks. "I am not! You're really getting old aren't you Kakuzu? Getting jealous?"
Kakuzu was quiet.
Hidan stared.
Kakuzu went back to his book.
"Holy shit Kaku-"
"Shut up."
Hidan smirked and walked over. "You are jealous, aren't you?" he snickered. "I knew it, you like me don't you? Hehehe!"
Kakuzu's eyes flicked up in a glare. "What would you do if I said I was?"
That silenced Hidan's teasing, who stared unblinking. "Well…I…Tch…come on, Kakuzu, it was a fucking joke! Heh, you're getting so emotional lately. You're like a woman."
It was then Kakuzu stood suddenly, dropping the book and towering over Hidan. The smaller man froze, looking up. From this close, Kakuzu was really tall. Sure, there was only an 8 centimeter difference, but it was obvious when their chests were almost touching like this. Not to mention the fact that Kakuzu was much, much, much more built than the jashinist was. Hidan grew nervous, swallowing and lips tightening in a nervous reflex.
"What would you do?" Kakuzu asked again, leaning closer.
Those eyes were dangerous. Scary. piercing. Kakuzu had never been like this before. Yes, he did threaten to take the other's head off-had done so many times too-threatened to rip him apart, but there wasn't such a menacing look in his eyes all those times. Just irritation. What was that look? It was so intense…
Kakuzu's hands twitched. He wanted to hold the other down in the worst way. The way Hidan's fear-filled eyes looked at him was just so…intoxicating. Hidan wasn't scared of anything as far as he knew. It was new territory, to see him like this. Kakuzu grew curious-unbearably so. How would this little Jashinist look if he was strapped down and bare? What look on his face would he have? Probably something shameful and filled with terror.
…yeah…he'd like to see that.
But it was too soon. Kakuzu liked to watch his prey squirm and back away into a corner slowly, shivering in anticipation. He would take his sweet time. But there was the matter about the kid which made that a dangerous option.
"Jeez!" Hidan finally yelled, stepping back and turning. "Take a fucking joke, Kakuzu!" He marched out of the room without a second glance, nerves still on high alert.
Kakuzu watched and sat back down. He would bide his time, and see what happened next first. He picked the book off the floor.
"Hm…" Deidara smiled, wiping his brow from the sweat of his hard work.
He gazed up at his latest sculpture, having taken he time to set up a make-shift tent from what he could salvage around his supplies to protect it from the rain and shine. It was an elegant bird, modeled after the image of a swan, with legs like a crane. He couldn't wait to see it go.
"Hm?" his eyes flicked, sensing movement from the mouth of the lair and frowned; was it Tobi? he turned to yell at the other to go away.
"Ah…" the girl smiled upon seeing the blonde. "That looks really nice. Did you make that?"
Deidara blinked once. Twice. "….huh?"
The young girl walked calmly towards the other, smiling in a friendly manner. "I didn't know you were an artist."
Deidara's brows furrowed. "Ah…hm. I am."
Who was this person? The light brown hair pinned neatly to the side and the voice was familiar….no….no way…
"Uhm…" Deidara suddenly realized that it was dangerous to have some stranger so near the lair. "Who are you hm?"
"Ah…" the girl's expression showed a look of realization for a second before she slowly smiled again. "My name is Seshiru. Seigyoku Seshiru, nice to meet you."
"Seshi….ru…" Deidara recognized the similarity, but didn't say anything. "I see…I don't know how you found your way here, but this isn't a place for someone like you. Go home, hm."
"Oh?" Seshiru blinked. "Really? I always hang about here. I've never noticed this clearing before though. But I saw the tent and was wondering what it was. You're very skilled. It's lovely."
Deidara smiled a little at the compliment. "Well of course, hm. I'm a master, hm."
"I like to make things myself. But I'm nowhere near as good." she said. "I was just finishing up a recent painting. But…I doubt someone like you would like to see it."
"Oh actually…" Deidara liked art. No. He loved it. All kinds of art; even ones that contradicted his own ideals about it. There was just a certain, magical spark to it that was there. Anything artistic was worth looking at. Although, he was also quite judgmental about it. He and Sasori had their differences and arguments about art when his Danna was alive-but that didn't mean he didn't respect his skill and acknowledge him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called him with such an honorific.
But he was also very proud of his own art-to the point where he was unwilling to accept anything could defeat it. That's where his loathing for Itachi sprouted from.
"I'd love to, hm." Deidara said.
The girl's eyes brightened at that-a nice deep chocolate hue. Like wood. She reached into her simple kimono-which cut off just at mid-thigh and pulled out a rolled up parchment of what looked like expensive papyrus. Unrolling it revealed a beautifully textured painting of a Geisha with flowers in her hair. But they weren't ornaments. Roots that travelled down from the pink flowers in her hair suggested that the plants were literally growing out of the woman. Like another Geisha, the skin was pale, but this time with slight woody texturing to give it a faint hue and feel. Deidara's eyes widened.
"It's quite good." he said with a surprised tone, taking the parchment into his own hands to gaze upon it.
"I like art with colors particularly. I mean…for myself. I can't work with clay like you do. I really like it." she said.
Deidara grinned-finally, someone he could converse with!
"Art is a bang, hm." he grinned. "Would you like to see the true form of my art?"
"Sure." she smiled.
Madara's eyes narrowed and his fist tightened into a ball. Lately, Deidara had been vanishing to do his art more often than before. Not only that, but when it was time for himself and the artist to both go to their respective residences, Deidara stayed behind, loitering at the transit hideout, even until the next mission arrived. So he took the liberty of secretly following him once-just to see what he was working on. But he didn't expect this.
"They're like fireworks in the middle of the day!" Seshiru laughed, clapping her hands.
Deidara smirked; ego inflated effectively. "We should wait until sunset, hm." he nodded.
"Well, either way, it's still going to be a great show." Seshiru grinned.
"Hmph." Deidara huffed, full of pride.
The sharingan-user's one visible eye narrowed dangerously, blood boiling. This he would not tolerate at all. Deidara was HIS plaything. Madara smirked behind his orange mask. There was a way to deter little 'Seshiru' from getting any more time with Deidara. He had noticed the tension between Kakuzu and Hidan-somehow, maybe he could use that to his advantage. He just needed to play things right.